Minnesota couple claims $180 million Powerball prize

ROSEVILLE, Minn. – Paul and Sue Rosenau say they already have everything they need, so their lives won’t change that much after winning a $180.1 million Powerball jackpot.

“We realize that money is probably not as important as friendship and helping others. And that’s what we hope to do with it,” Paul Rosenau said at a news conference Tuesday when they accepted a ceremonial check.

Rosenau, 54, is a heavy equipment operator and his wife, Sue, works at an agricultural research institute. The couple from Waseca will take the prize from last Saturday’s drawing in a lump-sum of $59.6 million after taxes.

Their win came five years to the day after the death of a 2-year-old granddaughter, Makayla, who had Krabbe disease, a nervous system disorder.

“It’s very emotional to know that there’s a reason for this,” Sue Rosenau said.

She said the family has been involved in trying to get a Krabbe test part of routine newborn screenings. Their winnings may go toward those efforts, but the Rosenaus haven’t made any decisions.

“It’s been such a whirlwind,” Paul Rosenau said.

Rosenau said there are things he and his 54-year-old wife have dreamed of – a new house, a vacation to Hawaii, taking a trip with their children – but for the most part they felt fortunate before they found out they won the Powerball jackpot.

“We don’t need a lot. We’ve got more than what we need,” he said. “We want to have a regular life.”